On a gloriously sunny and mild, February afternoon at Stanford University, leaders in journalism, app design, and investing gathered to usher in a dawning era of media, while somewhere else a bell was tolling for the end of the news business as we know it.

The panelists at the Stanford GSB’s conference on the Future of Media were the faces of a fractured industry attempting to reinvent itself in wake of old media’s precipitous decline. An expectant audience assembled to hear each person’s visions for what will become of traditional news, but as Zite’s CEO Mike Johnson said, “If you’re looking for a silver bullet, none of us have it.”

As one form of media comes down, there are many questions facing the next thing to take its place, but for this panel, the way to revive the news business is to put the “you” back in “user.” Coming from a background at PBS FRONTLINE Corey Ford, the CEO of Matter, says that journalists make the mistake of thinking that they are “above the fray, and [are] going to give people what they really need.” Sites like Zite and Circa are personalizing print news, but in diametrically different ways, bringing up important questions for how most people will receive information down the road. David Cohn, Circa’s founding editor, emphasizes that the news app is “100% human generated,” driven by a small editorial staff manually aggregating bits of breaking news from various sources into a single story. An algorithm may be easier to employ on a large scale, but Cohn says that he would “put any of [his] editors against an algorithm any day of the week.”

His commitment to human intelligence has a romanticized flavor of gristly editors always willing to take the fall for their writers that harkens back to the status quo of newsrooms, but there are some like Johnson, who believe that there are cases where machines can outperform people. “There are jobs we think humans could do really well, like choosing stories on a home page, that machines can do better,” Johnson says.

But whether a startup can derive the perfect algorithm or structure the most appealing iPad app, in the eyes of one of the remaining old school journalists on the panel, the question still remains, how do you pay for it? Adam Lashinksy, who covers Silicon Valley and Wall Street for FORTUNE technology, wants to let us all in on a “dirty little secret.” He says, “Facebook, Google, LinkedIn distract people from the fact that these innovative media companies don’t make a lot of money.” Even Cohn strongly believes that “journalism is not sustainable.” Advertising, on the other hand, is sustainable. “It just so happens that the two were intimately tied before,” says Cohn. Yet, recent backlash over Facebook and Instagram’s advertisement policies proves just how adverse users are to ads on sites and apps that they enjoy for free. Lashinsky thinks that people will pay for journalism, though what remains unclear is how many and how much. But if young sites and apps are looking to strike it big in a tech world where the most popular things come at no cost, what becomes the value of news?

It might be too early to tell whether new media will drive job growth for editors, programmers, or both, but all present agreed that what has driven a stake into traditional forms of reporting, is just that, a grounding in tradition. “Public media had once been an entrepreneurial playground,” remembers Ford. Now though, “there’s just no experimentation,” he says.

Photo:  http://www.stockfreeimages.com/8040868/Global-World.html#_  © Kateleigh.

Over the last few years, the TR35 awards, which began in the U.S. in 1999, have spread to Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, and now France, with other editions in the works. The trend highlights the diversification of centers for innovation and entrepreneurship, facilitated by global communication and information networks that were concentrated in a handful of countries not long ago.

France is the second European country to present TR35 awards after Spain, which held the first of its annual Emtech conferences in Málaga in 2011. For Fanny Surot, one of the collaborators from Opinno in Madrid responsible for bringing TR35 to France, the fact that the prize is expanding during hard economic times speaks to the spirit of entrepreneurship that still exists in Europe. “In Spain, like in France, many say that because of the economic crisis there is nothing, but there is, it’s just a matter of looking for it,” says Surot, herself an expatriate from Paris living in Madrid.

To Jana Martí, the young entrepreneurs are all fed by the purest passion and exhibit a drive for their work that sets them apart from all their peers. “They’re all following their dreams,” says Martí, a competitions analyst who organizes the TR35 contests in Spain. “There exists the perception that, for lots of young people, the goal is just to find a job with the biggest salary and the best connections. It’s a minimum-effort philosophy that [the TR35 winners] don’t follow…all of them exhibit such a passion,” Martí explains.

One of these motivated few, Juan Moreno Sastoque stood up on stage at Emtech Spain 2012; honored not only as a TR35 winner, but also with the special recognition of being the Caring Innovator of the Year for his work developing systems for efficient rehabilitation for individuals with reduced mobility. A few days ago, Martí received an email. It was from a family friend whose young nephews live with cerebral palsy. “If he hadn’t won, perhaps he continues with his research but she goes on thinking there’s no solution to her problem when that’s not the case,” Martí recounts. “This is proof of the impact we’re having. Is there any greater privilege than that? Impossible.”

“We are still here.” That was the headline in the Chicago Tribune in 1910 after the Comet Halley crossed the cold Chicago skyline. The New York Times had previously reported on the vision of a renowned scientist who warned of the possibility that toxic gases from the tail of the comet could “probably extinguish all life on the Planet.” Well, after surviving at least four catastrophes that threatened to destroy our Planet (including the Y2K, the BSE or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy – a.k.a. the Mad Cows disease -, the Asian flu, and the recent End of the World), we can sustain categorically that we are still here: Happy 2013!

As noted by Gartner´s Hype Cycle which is published annually, this year´s technology trends continue by the unstoppable path of Cloud Computing, Big Data, applications and mobile devices, 3D printing, NFC payments, integrated ecosystems, and of course, the Internet of Things. The Interwhat?!? Oh, that network of devices and in general things connected together to perform certain tasks and/or perform monitoring activities that enhance what we already do, or do we try to make possible. In 2008 the number of devices connected to the Internet exceeded the number of people on earth: 2020 is expected to host over 50 of billion of inter-related things.

We are moving from a world of reactive devices and inanimate objects to an environment where information, intelligence, and ubiquitously distributed computation capabilities (one of the hot topics will be Cloud Computing) and networks: objects acquire the ability to perceive things, perform, adapt, adapt or help. This is the future of the Internet and consumer electronics: a network of things that make an ecosystem of information by connecting the physical and virtual world through a series of transactions, where information becomes natural – the product of these exchanges – and where developers, users and companies face a reality where the amount of data is not only large, but the volume of benefits are also overwhelming.

Every day, 2.5 trillion bytes of data is created. In fact IBM estimates that 90% of the data that exists today in the World has been created within the past two years. This data comes from everywhere: sensors used to gather climate information, posts on social networking sites, digital images and videos, records of purchase transactions or mobile phone GPS signals to name some of the most significant. In the Internet of Things data resides in the Cloud, and the devices and applications and channel information is sent in both directions, which requires a huge architecture to organize, analyze and present information in a way that is meaningful and useful. Instead of eclipsing our individuality, I think the future can reveal exactly the opposite: it will create a sense of emerging empowerment – to have the means to address and resolve the situations presented to us – and we need customization sorely. We become insatiable in our pursuit of personalized feedback, which at the end of the day defines us as people.

Convergence of devices, data, networks and people …

I´m sure you’ve seen domotics´ demonstrations where home blinds open and close automatically, cars that start remotely (seen the “advanced version” yet? ), or light intensity adjusts to desired temperature. However there´s this new wave of intelligent systems that exceed these advanced features: combining mobile applications and installed devices in homes that are able to open or close doors remotely, control the power and temperatures with thermostats (both heating and air conditioning), or tune in your favorite music and also LEARN AND ADAPT without further interaction from the user.

Applications and smart devices are more than a way to control our environment remotely. What´s really relevant to this powerful information exchange are the experiences that surround and emanate from each transaction. Have you thought about what would happen if the media was not just the device, but instead we OURSELVES were the device? The idea of what we are, we know, we experience and do are important layers of the Internet of Things. While this may seem foreboding, yes, indeed, we speak of becoming part of the “machine”. I do not mean Skynet nor Raymond Kurzweil’s theory of Singularity, however. I’m talking about how to open the door to a new generation of technology development that improves the way of life and improves relationships by unlocking human aspirations.

I really like the concept of Human API (in computer jargon, an API – Application Programming Interface - an interface that is used to program applications). This technology enables a human network where people become nodes and information links people and devices (in a manner differently than they saw in 1992 in the movie The Lawnmower Man, of course…), and feeds new experiences and changes in our behavior. And that’s the key, because technology itself doesn’t solve anything: it doesn’t make you smarter, or more attractive, nor make you healthier. But it does facilitate behavior change. For example, as recommended by UNICEF.

Using a simple example, last year I went to Chicago for a connected health conferences and won a FitBit (the first time I’ve won anything in my life, thanks Microsoft for organizing the conference and for the gift!). This small wireless device (the size of a USB key) is used to follow and count the steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed. Overnight sleep cycles are measured in order to help users learn to sleep better. The intention is to motivate you achieve your goals for greater fitness in your life. It is the social element of the activity, I also find it fascinating. Products like Fitbit or Nike FuelBand are based on the concept of Human API to collect digital breadcrumbs from users and put them together in such a way that makes sense of daily activity and validates the progress.

And perhaps most importantly, these devices, the data collected and presented, and social relations associated with the publication of this information in social channels drives the continuing search for targets, and brings people together to help each other live better. As these devices are connected socially, experiences turned into the epicenter of commitment and encouragement, inspiring people and networks of people through extended relationships along the way.

What are your experiences on the interplay between people, devices, and the Internet of Things? How do you expect to be in the future of these technologies?

Jorge Gomez
VP, Global Strategic Alliances at Andago

Jorge Gomez serves as VP of Global Strategic Alliances at Andago, where he analyzes business opportunities and develops new market initiatives, increasing Andago’s Health and Wellness ecosystem of partner companies. Jorge combines his Computer Science engineering vision with an Executive International MBA background, along with a thriving passion for state-of-the-art technologies and World cultures.

In the technological entrepreneurial culture, it is well known that most start-ups fail. The number is very high: 3 in every 4. The reasons can vary from running out of funding or losing a founder, to determining there isn’t a big enough market for your product or service. Either way, failing in Silicon Valley is one of the least terrible things that can happen to you.

When we start a company, fear of failing can be paralyzing. We imagine how terrible it would be to lose our savings, share with our friends and family how what we tried didn’t work out, and the idea of being pointed out as losers overwhelms us. Nevertheless, in the start-up culture it’s very clear than a failing company is not a synonym for failing founders, but quite the opposite: it is promoted to be very vocal about our mistakes.

Something important to take into account is that you are not your start-up and the possibility to eventually take on a new project is high. Learning from each of your experiences generates a track record that has more value than just one project.

In the Bay Area, with so many projects in development, it’s common to listen to founders’ stories that show that the knowledge gathered by previous failed projects helped them realize what they had to do differently for their new start-ups. Failing is a synonym for learning.

As part of this new entrepreneurial culture, failing fast and sharing is more recommended than doing it in a silent way. It is clear that it’s better to end a project that has no future when the investment in time and money is still low, than to postpone the closing of a company that is destined to die. Being prideful and pretending that everything is fine or keeping the failure a secret can be more counterproductive for the entrepreneur than it may seem, thus it would look like he didn’t learn anything from it. In Silicon Valley, learning and sharing knowledge is a cultural pillar.

In Latin America our perception towards failure is very different. Socially it is hard to be open to share our mistakes but little by little we are letting go of old conventionalisms and nurturing new entrepreneurs with past experiences. In Mexico for example, Fuckup Nights takes place once a month, a networking event to share failure stories and lessons learned in a relaxed way. Are there any discussion spaces around failure in your city?

Emprende.la focuses on entrepreneurial innovation in Mexico.

But this is not intended to be a scientific publication, or at least not what I should be writing on. And I won’t. The reason I am telling you about this test is because it is a great example of what I believe is one of the keys to success in biotechnology: partnership. Labco Diagnostics believes innovation does make the difference. We are devoted to offering to our patients the best diagnostic technologies available. For sure these new technologies do need to go through the approval of our Scientific Committee, and we must make sure they do comply with our high standard of quality, but once we get the green light, we like to make them available to our customers as soon as possible. I am not saying something new if I tell you that in my industry the progress happens at the speed of light. Every day we hear of a new technology having been validated, and the way we approach certain treatments has been completely modified over the last years. Specially when it comes to cancer, being ale to offer our patients the best technology available does make a difference.

Why am I telling you all this? Wasn’t I talking about prenatal testing? Well, the key for us here is to be able to work with the right partners. It is absolutely impossible to keep up the pace of innovation in biomedicine if you want to go on this journey by yourself. There is no way a company could offer the best available technologies if it wasn’t through strategic partnerships. Not even Labco could, despite being the market leader in Europe. Nor Quest Diagnostics, the largest lab services company in the world.

I cannot disclose yet who we are partnering for the launch of the non-invasive prenatal test, but I can assure you they do meet what we consider is necessary to find the appropriate partner. First, the technology they are offering we are convinced is the best available in its field. Second, the management team is honest, passionate, and has the same vision we have. In the end, it’s all about trust and moving forward together. Sure term sheets are necessary, but my experience says the best businesses are those in which once signed you will not use it ever again.

Labco is now able to offer the best diagnostic technologies in many cases thanks to what we share with our partners. So there you goes my advice. Do not try to do everything by yourself. Be honest to yourself and establish what you are proficient at. Then, try to establish win-win partnerships with other companies and help each other to move onto the nest step in your business. You might sometimes choose the wrong partners, but the potential benefit is worth the risk.

Hopefully on my next post I will be able to tell you more details about our new partnership. I can tell you I have learnt a big deal from these intense last weeks of discussions with them; and now I now we not only will be successful together, but I have established new friendships based on trust and sharing the same vision of business.

Merry Christmas to you all, and I wish you a prosperous 2013. We will continue to be devoted to our patients and customers, and offering them the best of biomedical innovation.

Javier de Echevarría

Javier de Echevarría is Head of Innovation Sales at Labco Diagnostics Spain and CEO and Founder of Labec Pharma. His main area of expertise is entrepreneurship, innovation and biotech startups.

Two years ago Adeo Ressi decided to expand into Latin America and considered multiple countries, including Brazil and Argentina. However, despite these larger and more mature markets, it was Alan Colmenares, on behalf of Colombia, who Adeo partnered with.

Fast-forward to today, and the impact The Founder Institute has made in the country is clear. Already this year, three Founder Institute startups have received funding.

FI Founder Adeo Ressi and FI Colombian Director Alan Colmenares

The future is bright for these graduates, particularly because of the funding and mentorship opportunities offered from not only private, but also public organizations. Government initiatives such as ViveDigital and Apps.co were created in part to incentivize foreign investment and encourage startups.

According to  Linda Koritkoski, the Director of Marketing at .CO, “There’s no question about it, the last decade has radically reshaped Colombia’s business climate — and entrepreneurship is booming.”

Startup highlights of the most recent Founder Institute DEMO Day, in both Medellin and Bogota, are below:

La Bonoteca: The company, founded by Tomas Posada, provides a mobile app that enables local businesses to send coupons to visitors in a company’s vicinity. The company recently secured over $150K in funding.

Tuttores: Founded by Daniel Morales & Juan Camilo Buitriago, Tuttores is an online marketplace for tutors in Latin America. The startup enable parents to find tutors in-person and over the internet.

Likrs: Started by brothers Omar and Oscar Gomez, Likrs.co is described as digital memory for social media activity. The startup allows you to record and index all of your social media activity in one location.

ComparaMejor: ComparaMejor enables individuals to calculate auto insurance that suits their needs at the best price. The company has received funding.

AsegurateFacil: Aseguratefacil is the first online insurance agency in Colombia. It’s goal is to provide customers with a way to manage their insurance easily, safely and without the need to travel. The company recently received raised a round of funding.

The graduates are fortunate to be following in the footsteps of Colombian entrepreneurs Alex Torrengra, co-founder of VoiceBunny, and Andres Barretto, co-founder of OnSwipe, which recently raised $6M in VC funding.

According to Alan Colmenares, although the ecosystem still has a ways to go when compared to other countries in the region, the progress in Colombia is undeniable. It is not only Alan who feels this way. Jesse Hopps, a Canadian entrepreneur and founder of DemandMetric, says of the Founder Institute entrepreneurs, “I was impressed. These graduates have a great future ahead of them”.

Conrad Egusa is the Co-Founder of Espacio, which is a co-working space and entrepreneurial center located in the heart of Medellín, Colombia. He is currently a mentor at The Founder Institute, a partner at Brownstein & Egusa, and he was formerly a writer at VentureBeat. Conrad can be reached at conrad(at)espacio.co

Dr. Jesus Perdomo Ortiz

Translated by Conrad Egusa

Medellín – the name itself conjures up a sense of story across the world.

It is no secret that not only ago, Medellin was arguably the most dangerous city on the planet. The city was home to some of the largest illegal organizations the world has ever seen.

However, the strength of good governance and the strong will of the people have changed the city. Today, Medellin has positioned itself as a center of innovation. Most recently, Medellin was selected in the Wall Street Journal contest, along with New York and Tel Aviv, as one of the most innovative cities in the world.

Innovation in the city can be perceived in a number of areas, however I wish to highlight one area in particular, the city’s culture of entrepreneurship.

Medellin is considered Colombia’s industrial heartland and that tradition is underpinned by its history in the textile industry, in addition to it’s excellence in the public and tourism sector.

Through its success, the city of Medellín has excelled in five key areas: Innovation, productivity, production chains, new markets, and government.

Medellín is innovative in many areas because of how it has embraced technological change. Examples of this include the city’s new metro and cable cars, which provide extended routes to marginalized areas.

Medellin is productive because of its investments into education and entrepreneurship. The creation of industrial and technology parks, business incubators, and technological development centers have allowed it to excel in ways few cities have.

In Medellín, production chains are built through the integration of many industries, and the textile, flower, and software industry have succeeded because of the cooperation of many parties throughout the city.

Medellin has also developed its market structure by creating new markets throughout Central America and the Caribbean, and by developing its consumers internally.

Lastly, the good governance in Medellín has clearly helped the city move past its darkest days. Today, Medellin is a city with innovative public organizations. This has all been accomplished in conjunction with the design of public policies that promote private initiative and intellectual property.

In conclusion, the best of Medellin’s days have yet to come, as new initiatives continue to arise in the city. The most recent example is ESPACIO, which is a co-working space/entrepreneurial center located in the heart of Medellin. At this space, ventures will have the opportunity to build and develop new businesses.

With Medellin, we look forward to the day when the city will be as well known for its innovations as it is for its coffee.

Jesús Perdomo teaches Business Management at the Pontifical Javerian University in Bogotá (Colombia). He specializes in innovación and how to combine management with design.

Senator Claire McCaskil

But that may soon change, at least if a US senator from Missouri has anything to say about it.  Senator Claire McCaskill on Dec. 11 wrote Michael Huerta, acting administrator of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), demanding that he change the agency’s stance on the issue or face legislative action.

McCaskill, a Democrat, pointed out that airlines have begun allowing the use of tablet computers in the cockpit to cut down on paperwork and reduce dependence on printed instruction manuals for pilots.

“[T]he public is growing increasingly skeptical of prohibitions on the use of many electronic devices during the full duration of a flight, while at the same time using such devices in increasing numbers,” she wrote.  “The fear of devices that operate on electricity is dated, at best.  More importantly, such anachronistic policies undermine the public’s confidence in the FAA, thereby increasing the likelihood that rules of real consequence will be given too little respect.”

Up to now, the FAA’s official policy has been that the use of certain electronic devices can pose a danger to an aircraft in flight.  As I wrote in a prior post, the use of cell phones is generally not allowed because of concerns that data transmission could disrupt a plane’s communication capabilities.

The senator said that she is “prepared to pursue legislative solutions should progress [toward overturning the ban on electronic devices] be made too slowly.”

Share your thoughts: Do you think prohibitions on the in-flight use of electronic devices are dated?  Do you think Sen. McCaskill has a real chance of effecting change?

Luke can be reached at luke.jensen1981(at)gmail.com

The Mass Extinction

65.5 million years ago an asteroid the size of a city collided northwest of the peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico, where a huge crater of 280 km (170 miles) of diameter can still be seen today. This and other similar impacts probably caused massive emissions of ashes and gases towards the atmosphere and triggered the mass extinction of the Cretaceous-Tertiary: the blocking of sunlight resulted in a global cooling of the Earth’s surface, making the photosynthesis in plants impossible, and stopping the food chain. The dinosaurs, which had dominated the Earth for over 160 million years, died massively during this period along with 75% of all terrestrial organisms.

Asteroid heading towards the Earth
Photography: Andreus Agency: Dreamstime.com

While many people are interested in the latest developments in mobile technology, having a better understanding on how social networks are changing our communication paradigms, or being aware of how telemedicine improves our health, the fact is that attention reaches maximum levels when you are told that a new asteroid could collide imminently against the earth’s surface, a massive burst of solar radiation could destabilize the core of the Earth, or an avenging deity armed with a flaming sword might descend from the Heavens above. We agree those issues are more shocking – pun intended – than mobile phones.

The End of World has always attracted Mankind, from ancient times until today where we live in a “technified” age. According to a recent survey, one in seven people believe the end of the World will happen during their lifetime. I´ll always remember the mess that the change to the Year 2000 brought: computers would reboot in mass. Traffic would stop. Planes were going to fall from the skies. Excel spread sheets would be deleted, and disappear forever. Even toasters would malfunction. When the dreaded night came -glass of champagne in hand…one thing is the End of the World, and quite another to not celebrate New Year’s Eve!- we found that the sky did not fall. Nor did the lights go out. Nor was the Stock Exchange interrupted. No planes stopped flying suddenly. At that time, an event like the recent blackout in New York would have been funny to add some suspense, really … but it did not happen.

The Mayan Calendar

Blackout in NYC, 2012

Now back to year 2012, this past month of May I was fortunate to revisit the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, home to unique pieces of Mesoamerican culture and history. Each wing of the building is devoted to a different civilization: one for the Toltecs, other with the huge Olmec heads, one for the archaeological site of Teotihuacan. In the center of the building, the Sun Stone of the Aztecs raises majestically, a huge 24-ton basalt disk with inscriptions alluding to Aztec cosmology and solar cults, often erroneously called “Aztec Calendar” and possibly the most recognizable pre-Hispanic symbol of the Americas.

One of my favorite rooms at the Museum is the Mayan Hall. The Mayans were pioneers in technology and innovation. (Oh look, it seems like we’re going to talk about technology, after all!) The Mayan civilization reached a prodigious level in mathematical sciences, astronomy, and architecture and food production, to name a few relevant examples. From the Mayan comes the first documented use of the concept of the number zero using positional notation (in the year 36 BC, although there are cuneiform tablets dating from 1700 BC in Babylon where the -0 substitution parameter is depicted). They also had the innovative multiplication principle of Tzeltal , as useful as eye-catching. Already in the so-called Classic period (200 to 900 AD) they used a sophisticated vigesimal number system (based on 20 rather than based on 10, like the decimal we use today), which allowed detailed calculations of hundreds of millions of units and to register dates so long they needed to be written in multiple lines.

These advanced mathematical skills, along with their fascination with the Universe and their need to plan harvests, lead to a comprehensive understanding of Time and the development of detailed calendars. Specifically the Long Count Mayan calendar, which began in 3114 BC and after a 5,125-year cycle it ends the 13th era (Bak’tun in Mayan), precisely on December 20, 2012. Actually the Mayans never said the world ended that day, instead it was the end of a calendar cycle: a veeeeeeeeery long one. Therefore December 21, 2012 is he beginning of a new cycle, something similar to resetting the counter of an odometer… according to the Mayans, of course. But taking advantage of this date, you will see the Sun Stone (which is Aztec, not even Mayan!), mixed with prophecies of all kinds related to the Mayans and the End of the World.

Detail of the Dresden Codex, on the Mayan Calendar

The End of the World. Or maybe not.

In short, if the world ends on this date, it will not be because of a civilization that for the last 3000 years has populated Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and five current states of Mexico: precisely the states of the Yucatan Peninsula, where the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs fell. Is it coincidence, or the announcement of a new cataclysm?

Just in case, NASA has rushed to publish a document explaining why the Earth will not end that day. We can relax a bit now, don´t you think? But if what you really want is to see how an asteroid impacts on Earth, you can do it from the comfort of your home, without remorse. Finally, if you liked the article please share it: do not forget that one in seven people around you might be thinking that it´s the End of the World.

Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Holidays Season and a Happy New Year. May Kukulkan, the feathered serpent Mayan deity, dwell forever in your hearts.

Jorge Gomez
VP, Global Strategic Alliances at Andago

Jorge Gomez serves as VP of Global Strategic Alliances at Andago, where he analyzes business opportunities and develops new market initiatives, increasing Andago’s Health and Wellness ecosystem of partner companies. Jorge combines his Computer Science engineering vision with an Executive International MBA background, along with a thriving passion for state-of-the-art technologies and World cultures.